Reducing apparatus



W. M. BERG REDUCING APPARATUS Filed July 29, 1943 Pi G.i

Nov. 2, 1943.

mLL/AMMBERG.

Y INVENTOR.

BY y fldwwaw ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 2, 1943 REDUCING APPARATUS William M. Berg, New York, N. Y.

Substituted for abandoned application Serial No. 371,476, December 24, 1940. This application July 29, 1943,Serial No. 497,148

Claims.

My invention relates to reducing and therapeutic apparatus and has particular reference to apparatus for applying various mechanical treatments to patients.

This is a substitute for my abandoned application, Serial No. 371,476, filed December 24, 1940.

My invention has for its object to providean apparatus in the form of a table on which a patient may be placed and subjected to various treatments, particularly to the action of a warm, humidified air, an enclosure being also provided for the main portion of the body. Air heating and humidiiying devices are provided for this purpose in the table.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for subjecting various portions of the body to a rolling massage with the application of heat, an electrically heated ribbed roller being used for this purpose.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for applying vacuum suction to various portions oi the body, vacuum cups of Various shapes being used for this purpose, connected to a central vacuum pump in the operating table.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a rotary device for a rapid vibrating massage by soft leaves or strips.

My invention is more fully described in the accompanying specification and drawing, in which:

Fig. l is an elevational View of my table;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same partly in section;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the same partly in section;

Fig. 4 is a detail View of a rolling massaging device partly in section;

Fig. 5 is a detail view of a section massaging device in section;

Fig. 6 is a detail view of a suction hose terminal;

Fig. '7 is a sectional view of another type of a suction massaging device;

Fig. 8 is a side view of an electric massaging device;

Fig. 9 is an end view of the same.

My reducing and therapeutic apparatus consists of an elongated table I supporting a mattress 2 and a pillow 3 for a patient. The upper board 4 is removably supported in a corresponding recess on shoulders 5 of a well 6. Electric heaters l are supported in the well, being preferably covered with or placed between thin sheets 8 which help to distribute convective currents of the heated air. The sheets 8 are preferably made of copper or other similar metal, transparent to infra red rays from the heaters. The heated air passes upward to the patient on the table,

the board 4 being provided with holes or preferably made of narrow bars joined at the ends to a frame.

The heated or warm air for therapeutic or reducing treatments usually must be humidified. A humidifying device is provided for this purpose in the well 6, consisting of a shallow tray 9 supported on brackets iii, water or other liquid being supplied to the tray by a pipe I i extending from a cup l2 fitted in the table. An electric heater I3 is supported under the tray 9 between heat dissipating metal sheets l4.

In order to maintain a uniform atmosphere of warm humidified air for the patient, a canopy i5 is provided above the table, preferably made of a flexible fabric which may be waterproofed. The canopy is suspended from an elongated plate It ro-tatively mounted on a horizontal extension I! of a rod 88 supported at the end of the table I. The plate It has for this purpose bearings IS, the rod extension having collars 2B preventing longitudinal displacement of the plate.

The rod l8 passes through a transverse slot 2| in the table, the lower end of the rod being mounted on a pivot 22 between brackets 23 at the bottom board 2'4 of the table leg 25. The slot is sufiiciently long so that the rod. can be tilted to one side as shown in Fig. 3 in dotted lines. Th plate Iii can be then turned into a vertical position, the canopy being hung at the side of the table, leaving the table exposed for treating the patient.

The rod can be retained in the vertical or operative position by a locking board 26 hingedly supported on the table at 21 with springs 28 urging the board into the vertical position. Lugs 29 are provided at the side of the board 26 extending at the sides of the rod l8 as shown in Fig. 2, thereby keeping the rod in the vertical position.

Before or after the treatment with the heated humidified air, the patient is usually subjected to various forms of massage treatment. Certain of such massage treatments require application of vacuum or suction by means of suction cups or vessels, such as is shown at 30 in Fig. 1. The suction is provided by an air pump 3| operated by a motor 32 and placed in a central cabinet 33 under the table. A gauge 34 indicates the degree of vacuum which can be regulated by a valve 35. The pump is connected with suction devices by'a flexible hose 36 with a nipple 31 at the end for quick attaching to the suction devices. A filter or dust collector 38 is provided between the hose 36 and the valve 35. Additional devices may be mounted on the face board 39, such as a lamp 40, sockets 41, for plugging electric cords of electric vibrators and similar electric devices, also an oil cup 42 for the pump and motor.

The suction cup 30 is shown in section in Fig. 5. It is preferably made of metal or plastic composition and has a flange 43 at the open end, fitted inside a rubber ring 44. The closed end or bottom of the cup has a, nipple 45 with a rubber sleeve 46 on the outside for connecting it with a metal socket 31 or 41, Fig. 6, at the end of the flexible hose 38. A valve 48 is provided in the nipple. 4.5

for preventing the escape of the outside air into 7 the space in the cap after suction has been: applied.

The rubber covered open end of the cup is applied to a portion of apatients body and the airis exhausted, causing the skin to be'sucked into the cup. A variety of such cups of different sizes and shapescan be used for different purposes, including smaller cups Without, the valves. Special suction tubes or vessels 49, Fig, '7, are used for a localized treatment of small portions of the skin. Such a tube, preferably made of glass, has a nipple 50 at the rear end with a rubber sleeve 45 for attaching it to the socket 41. Thefront end of the tube has a nozzle 5|, of'a desired shape, which is pressed against the body. An opening 5215 provided at the side of the tube which can be coveredby the operators finger. for controlling the degree of suction.

An electric vibrating device is shown in Figs; 8 and 9. It consists of a small electric motor 53 with a suitable handle 54 through which pass electric insulated wires 55., A block 55 is mounted at the end of the motor, shaft, the block being.

preferably of ,a frusto-conical shape. It has. longitudinally extendingslots 51 forstrips .58 of a flexible material, such as paper, fabric, etc. The. strips are bent over rods or pieces of cord 59..and

are inserted endwise intotheslots, the enlarged portions with the rods 59. being fitted in the inner enlarged portionsof the slots. The strips are thus firmly held in the slots, against the centrifugal force, being deflected in action, as shown in. dotted lines.

A. supplementary rotary massage device is shown in Fig.4. It consists of a hollow shaft with handles 6!., An electric heater 62 is supported in the middle portion oi the Shaft, the

leads 63 extending to the outsidethrough; one of the handles.v Two or more sleeves 64. are rotatively mounted on the shaft, the sleeves having a number of wheels 65, preferably made of rubber. All these parts are preferably made of metal to facilitate heat conduction to the wheels fromthe The device is rolled over the patients-- prising a table, the upper board of the table being adapted to support a patient, a Well under the board, electric heating devices in the well, means to humidify the air passing from the well to the top of the table, the board having a plural-.

ity of openings for admitting the humidified warm air to the patient, a rod movably supported at one end in the table and extending upward at the rear end of the table, the upper portion of the rod being bent and extending horizontally at an elevation above the table, a plate rotatively sup-, ported on the horizontal portion of the rod, means to releasably retain the lower portion of the rod in a vertical position with the plate in a horizontal position, and a canopy supported on the plate extending over the sides of the table.

2. A reducing and therapeutic apparatus comprising a table, the upper board of the table being adapted to support a patient, a well under the board; electric heating devices in the well, means to humidity the air passing from the well to the topolf the'table, the board having a plurality of openings for admitting the humidified warm air to the patient, the table having a transverse slot atone end, a rod movably supported in the slot pivoted atitslowerend, the. upper portion-of the rod being bent and extending horizontally at an elevation above the table, means to releasably re tain the lower portion of the rod in a vertical po sition, and means to support a canopy on-the horizontal portion of the rod.

3. A reducing and therapeutic apparatus comprising. a table, the upper board of'the tablebeing; adapted to support a patient, a well under the board, electric. heating devicesinthe well, means to humidify the ,air passing fromthewell to'the top of the table, the board having aaplurality of openings for admittin the humidified.- wamiair to the patient, the table havingua transverse-slot at one end, a; rod movablyfsupported inthe-slot pivoted at its lower end, the upper portion of the rod beingbenb and extending. horizontally at an elevation above. the table, means to releasably'retain the lower portion of the rod inavertical position, a plate rotatively supported-on the horizontal portionot therod; and acanopy made! apliablematerial supported: on the plate-and adapted; to rbesplaced; over the table when lower portion-10f therod is in a vertical position- .1 and theplateis in=a:horlzontal position, the

prising a table adapted to support a patient y rod extending upwardiat oneendof the table, the lower end of. therodobeing pivotallysubported,

the rod being adapted to be moved into an opera tive vertical position or into-an inoperative position in'clinedto one side of the:table'; meaiss-to guide the rod; means to releasably' loch me ted in the vertical position, a horizontal extenslanmn the rod:.at an elevatiodabove the table, and

means to support a flexible canop'yon the hon zontal. extension.

5. A reducing and therapeutic apparatus com prising a table adapted to supporta patient, a-rod extendin upward at one end of the tableythe lower .endof: the. rod being pl'vo'tally supported,

the rod being adapted to be moved into an operative vertical position 'or into an inoperative position inclined to one. side of the table, means" to guide the..rod,.means"= to releasably -ldckth"e rod in the: vertical position, ahorizont'at extension the. rod at an elevatitmabove the table, means to support a flexible .canopyon the-horizontal-ex n n; and means-to supply: warm" humidified" airfor the space over the table under the canopy." 

